1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to apparatus that chops or mills materials and more specifically, the invention relates to an inline apparatus that chops or mills process materials.
2. The Relevant Technology
During manufacturing of agglomerated powders, some large particles of powder clump together to form large masses of undried material that cannot be easily processed. The current practice is to run the process materials through stand alone machines that mill or chop materials before further drying and/or processing the materials. The machines break down the large masses to maintain a uniform particle size. The mixed powders are then transported to a different machine for drying the powders. The stand alone machines, however, add to the manufacturing time and cost. The stand alone machines also require personnel to transport the materials back and forth between different machines. In addition, the extra handling and transporting of the materials increases the chances of contamination and standard product loss since the materials are subject to separate processing.
In a related process, a machine that mills or chops the powders is connected with a drying bed. In this process, the powders are milled or chopped to a uniform particle size then routed through a conduit to the drying bed. When undried solvent-based and water-based granulated or agglomerated powders are transported through the conduit, however, the particles adhere to each other to create unworkable or very difficult clumps of material.
In view of the above and other related drawbacks and limitations identified in the relevant process material chopper, milling and sizing designs, there is a need for an inline chopper design that is designed to be adapted into the process machinery.